Optical Detection of Macular Pigment Formation in Premature Infants

To demonstrate the presence of macular pigment in the retina of premature infants, and to examine its changes with age.

The participants included 40 premature infants. Infants who had received laser photocoagulation for retinopathy of prematurity were excluded. Macular pigment optical density (MPOD) was measured by fundus reflectometry using RetCam3, a digital fundus camera. The reflection imaging was performed for ROP screening. The imaging time points were from a post menstrual age (PMA) of 29 weeks 0 days to 46 weeks 5 days.

The MPOD levels could be obtained from 39 premature infants. The levels at the first measurement ranged from 0 to 0.18 (mean 0.076, SD 0.044). The earliest time, when a nonvanishing MPOD level was obtained, was at a PMA of 33 weeks and 2 days, and that level was 0.05. The initial examination MPOD levels showed a moderate correlation with age (R² = 0.32, P < 0.00017). The mean MPOD levels measured each week during the follow-up period showed a very strong correlation with age (R² = 0.91, P < 0.0001). A regression line of MPOD = 0.0069 × age - 0.1783 was derived, where age is counted in PMA days.

The MPOD levels of premature infants were for the first time measured in living eyes. Macular pigment increased linearly with age.

Macular pigment increased with the development of macular morphology. This result suggested the importance of nutritional management of infants and mothers during perinatal period.